Damp resumption of Staffs harvest

Staffordshire farmer John Wilcox has just begun cutting spring barley again this afternoon (August 4), having been held back by the rain.

“It’s spoiling damp weather. It is too damp to combine, but not damp enough to do good to the ground.”

Westminster spring barley averaged 5t/ha, and was coming in at 5.5t/ha on the field he was on. Yields of the 50ha were down on average, but he said there had been a good amount of straw from which he got £50/acre.

“We were advised not to put nitrogen on one field, but the yields did better where we did. I have not grown Westminster before but I will again.”

He had not started cutting 160ha of winter wheat, although hoped to begin once he had finished spring barley this afternoon.

He has combined 52ha of Nijinsky on a contract for his brother, with first wheats yielding at 7.5t/ha and second wheat at 6.5t/ha. Quality was good, and bushel weights were 74-76kg/hl.

He added: “We’re quite pleased considering the year and the drought because we’re on medium to light land.”